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Guanxi networks and job searches in China's emerging labour market: a qualitative investigation

University of Queensland, Australia, xianbi.huang{at}uq.edu.au

This article examines whether guanxi networks are still influential in China's emerging labour market in light of economic liberalization. In-depth interviews with 65 Chinese job searchers show that guanxi networks influence job search and acquisition in a considerably transformed state sector, when jobs are highly desirable or when jobs are `soft-skill' and thus job performance is hard to measure, quantify or monitor. The influence of guanxi networks is, however, limited, resisted or eliminated when large corporations, mostly in the non-state sector, adopt transparent and standardized procedures to screen and recruit the most qualified candidates. Guanxi ties and professional ties are also interconnected in employment processes and professional ties are potentially transformable into guanxi ties.These results are discussed from institutional and cultural perspectives to contribute to a social network approach to labour market research in Chinese and non-Chinese societies.

Key Words: guanxi networks • job searches • labour market • urban China

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Work, Employment & Society, Vol. 22, No. 3, 467-484 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0950017008093481


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Xianbi Huang Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?